


Bless 'Em All

by Shazrolane



Series: We'll Meet Again [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes at War, Gen, M/M, POV Bucky Barnes, War Veteran Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-20
Updated: 2015-06-20
Packaged: 2018-04-05 07:11:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4170726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shazrolane/pseuds/Shazrolane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sink down. Operate the bolt. Stand up. Acquire a target. Squeeze the trigger.</p>
<p>Sergeant Bucky Barnes at war.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bless 'Em All

**Author's Note:**

> [Bless 'Em All](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYGyAez5_MI) George Formby, 1940
> 
> I did not use the Graphic Depictions of Violence tag because I don't feel anything qualifies as graphic, but please mind your own personal comfort levels. This is a war story.
> 
> Note: I have absolutely no real combat experience; I've researched and read accounts written by veterans, but all mistakes here are my own and everything I've written is my own interpretation of my research. I have nothing but the greatest respect for anyone who has ever served, and my very last intention is to offend anyone. If I have offended anyone, please contact me and I will work to make it right.

The booms of the mortars and the big guns are deafening, punctuated by the sound of metal impacting dirt and bodies. Sergeant Barnes can’t help flinching every time he hears bullets ripping through the air, but most of the time those are far enough away that it’s covered by the gasping sound of his own breath, as he climbs up over the mud at a crater’s rim and runs for a different cover. He used to think that he’d get used to the terror of running through bullet fire; that eventually it'd get easier, but his heart's stayed in his throat every single time. It's only the sure knowledge that staying will lead to more of his company dying that gives him the courage to do it.

Bucky is exhausted but it doesn’t matter. Have to push past that, he doesn’t have the luxury of being tired. There’s the unmistakable sound of a ricochet headed towards him and he drops below a slight ridge in the dead grass, grunting as his chest slams into the ground. He takes the time to squeeze off a few rounds in the general direction of the enemy, then pushes to his feet and runs some more.

The rapid firing of the guns, the reports of the rifles all blend together into one long hideous noise of death and destruction. Men are yelling and screaming, the tanks are grinding their way forward. None of it makes any sense, it’s just all cacophony and chaos and it’s overwhelming so he shoves it to the back of his mind with all the other things he doesn’t have the time or the energy to deal with and does his best to ignore it all. He runs because his life depends on it, and nothing else matters, not the exhaustion or the noise or the cold, not even the metallic taste of blood in his mouth from where he’d bitten his tongue in his dive to the ground.

Despite the cold air he's pouring sweat. It's running into his eyes and making them sting even more than the smoke and dirt thrown up by the explosions already have. He clears them as best he can, dashing his face against his grime covered sleeve. His vision is the only sense he can rely on right now. His feet pound on while he searches for some safety.

A rock turns under his boot and he stumbles to his knee, then it’s back up to keep running. He catches someone out of the corner of his eye,, some sense he’s managed to hone screaming DANGER at him. He turns, bringing up his Springfield rifle but knowing it’s going to be too late to stop whoever it is. This is it, this is where he’s going to die, and half of him is almost thankful because at least it'll be over. But the other, louder half is screaming at the world how god damned unfair it all is that he’s going to die here in the mud because of a stupid fucking rock.

And then there’s a big red bloom on the other guy's chest, like the flower Gladys wore the last time they went dancing. And then the German soldier slumps down into the mud, and behind him Hayes is lowering his rifle and beckoning Barnes in to the dubious shelter of a pile of rubble.

One last sprint, and Bucky makes it to the remains of a wall large enough to shelter him and a few other men. Bucky puts his back against the wall and greedily sucks in air, coughing as badly as Steve does in the winter when the cold air burns in his lungs.

“Jesus, I thought we were going to lose you, Sarge,” Hayes says, crouching next to him to reload. 

“I was thinking the same thing.” Bucky nods his thanks.

Hayes claps his shoulder in return.

Bucky takes out his canteen and drinks what’s left in it. There’s a tap on his shoulder, and he looks over to see Mickle handing him another canteen while Dugan gives him a grin. “Nice running, Sarge.”

“Yeah, well, I had plenty of practice back in Brooklyn.” A mortar round hits close enough to shower them all with dirt and rocks. When it was over they untucked from their instinctive, defensive positions.

“You ran from fights? Say it ain’t so, Sarge!” Hayes says, then stands up to fire off some shots over the wall.

“Naw, Steve started so many fights I had to run to get to ‘em all!” The jokes are bad, all of them are, but that’s not the point. The point is that they’re making the effort. 

The men stand up periodically to fire off shots, then sink down to reload. Mickle is relaying orders from the CO and looking grim. Bucky takes a deep breath. _Break time’s over. _The rest of the boys were fine, but they didn’t have his sniper’s training. They’d kept him alive to get to this point, now it’s his turn to repay the favor.__

__Bucky finally finds a place on the wall of rubble that's not already occupied and will give him a bit of cover. His breathing has dropped back down; not to normal, but at least the breaths are just fast instead of shaking his whole body. He shoulders the rifle, looks for a target and squeezes the trigger._ _

__Sink down. Operate the bolt. Stand up. Acquire a target. Squeeze the trigger. Every five shots, load another clip. He’s not making a kill with every shot, but every soldier that he does drop keeps them all alive a little bit longer._ _

__Him and Hayes and Mickle and Dugan, all looking out for each other. Keeping each other alive. Bucky learned to run in Brooklyn, going toward the fights to protect Steve. And he was still doing it here, protecting these men because they were all any of them had._ _

__Looked like Bucky really did take all the stupid with him._ _

__(Sink down. Operate the bolt. Stand up. Acquire a target. Squeeze the trigger. Sink down…)_ _

**Author's Note:**

> This fills the "Assault" square of my H/C Bingo Card
> 
> Come visit me on [tumblr!](http://shazrolane.tumblr.com/)


End file.
